A mobile command center was set in place and dispatchers handled calls with help from Middlesex County and used older equipment until the primary 911 system could be repaired.NJ.com file photo

OLD BRIDGE – The township’s primary radio system did not work for about four hours today, forcing emergency calls to be routed through backup systems, police said.

“We experienced heat-related problems that knocked out our repeaters,” said Old Bridge police Capt. Arthur Carullo. “We relied on a series of backup systems to get through it.”

"The phone lines worked fine and our dispatchers received all calls including 911 calls but the problem was with the radio system which we believe was caused by the record setting heat wave that we experienced," Carullo said.

The township’s dispatch center handles police, fire and first-aid calls between the public and emergency responders.

A mobile command center was set in place and dispatchers handled calls with help from Middlesex County and used some older equipment, Carullo said.

“We used different radios and cellphones,” he said. “It was a lot more work, but everybody pulled together and we got through it.”

A wireless company got the system working again about 1:30 p.m., Carullo said.

Carullo said he did not know of any calls that went unanswered due to the outage.